Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 04:25:44 pm

Title: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 04:25:44 pm
First time this job has been done in 10 years  :)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: JSMC on March 24, 2008, 04:26:39 pm
what poles are they?
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 04:28:39 pm
Super-Lites- we used three Super-Lites and two SL-X poles between four operatives.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Jeff Brimble on March 24, 2008, 04:59:57 pm
One, two or three scrubs and did you use any soap ? If your back already must have gone well ?
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 05:04:33 pm
Two scrubs on most, three or four on some of the really dirty stuff. No soap.

Went inside to check the work and we were really pleased with the results. It took an hour longer than my shortest estimated time, so I was quite happy with my time calculations.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Village Gleam on March 24, 2008, 05:35:18 pm
What does a scrub mean? One scrubbing action of the brush or one complete overall scrubb of the window?
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 05:39:50 pm
What does a scrub mean? One scrubbing action of the brush or one complete overall scrubb of the window?

One complete over-all scrub and clean of the window. If you counted up the number of times the brush actually covered the glass in all, it would be about 10-15 times!
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Village Gleam on March 24, 2008, 05:51:43 pm
How did the logistics work?Where was the water? Assuming three maybe four cars did they hold 400l each? Surely not in barrels?
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: LWC on March 24, 2008, 05:53:33 pm
looks a great job though  :)

well done
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 05:56:24 pm
We had 4 vehicles on site with the following tanks:

1 had a 500 litre tank
1 had a 400 litre tank
1 had a 380 litre tank
1 had a 300 litre tank

Each vehicle is plumbed up so that two reels can be run off the vehicle at a time which allowed for maximum flexibility.

showing off with all them poles arent you

I had another Super-Lite in the car I didn't use!  Kirsty gave me a discount  ;)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: nat on March 24, 2008, 05:57:28 pm
old bill shop!!!

hope you charged them extra for that  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Village Gleam on March 24, 2008, 06:52:25 pm
This is exactly what i get, then when I do give em' a glimpse, they take the pee!
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 06:54:38 pm
We want to see pictures with the SL-X!!  ;D  ;D  ;D

The SL-X is the pole on the far left in the first photo.

I don`t want a picture i want the pole. : ??? ??? ??? ???

Couldn't agree more  ???
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Clear Vision on March 24, 2008, 07:24:00 pm
Nice pics!

Just noticed it's a pig pen!!  ;D

I did 2 pens on sunday with a map f16 fishing pole at 39ft
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: frames to panes on March 24, 2008, 07:53:01 pm
How high is that Alex, 50'? Is that some sort of maintenance gantry on the roof? I doubt wfp was about in Cornwall when they built that.
Oh, and you used the new brush too i trust? :)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 24, 2008, 07:58:13 pm
How high is that Alex, 50'? Is that some sort of maintenance gantry on the roof? I doubt wfp was about in Cornwall when they built that.
Oh, and you used the new brush too i trust? :)

Spot on - 50ft.  Yes, they did have some gantries on the roof but for safety reasons workers are no longer allowed to access the roof area or to use any type of cradles, hence WFP to the rescue.  I was using a couple of prototype brushes, still a few more days before we get our new ones in.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: frames to panes on March 24, 2008, 08:04:53 pm
Good advert that, hardly any flex in those poles at all.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: farkam on March 24, 2008, 10:24:55 pm
Great job!
just wondering how much do you charge for that work?  :)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 08:00:02 am
Great job!
just wondering how much do you charge for that work?  :)

That would be telling  :).  Basically I worked it out as a day's work for four people and charged accordingly.  It was bread and butter work rather than jam and cream.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 08:27:43 am
Ha Ha  :)

A days work for a skilled window cleaner- looking at, at least around £17 per hour for the hired help and more for the business owners.  :)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Gary Oldman on March 25, 2008, 08:36:02 am
at least around £17 per hour
Thats much more like it, but I guess you aren't in Poldark Land.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 08:49:10 am
We are in the more 'civilised' heart of Cornwall  :D
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: TDW on March 25, 2008, 09:24:20 am
Why on earth do you need a hard hat?
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 09:34:06 am
Technically when working at  height, there is a chance of debris being dislodged by the brush. As part of a stringent health and safety program for this site, we decided to be ultra efficient.

Really it is not needed, but this job has it's own H&S officer and it is a very public premises right on one of Cornwall's busiest roundabouts so it is always best to be seen doing exactly the correct thing!!
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Jago on March 25, 2008, 01:31:47 pm
I was told we might have to have hats for some site stuff near me
only when I am near the main site even though it is on excisting customers houses.

Also they advised me to wear them hi vis jacks
madness but better than getting run over by the mad paddy in the big lifter truck hee hee

Mind you I thought I had a drama doing  250 ltrs on 12 flats and 2 communial areas they were sparkle cleans that had been left for 6 months I had to do some of them twice

Good Job Alex looks spot on well actuly looks spotless ;-)


regards J
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 01:38:09 pm
We were pleased with the finish, but not a job I would want to have to do every week!!
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Jago on March 25, 2008, 02:02:27 pm
LOL Fair play that is my weeks worth of water you used there

Also Alex do you know of any low profile brushes on the market?
as I have some town houses with bars on them and they are 3 storeys up.
I can get the brush through but what a pain in the ass.
Just using your knowledge fella or if anyone else knows
Regards J
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 02:39:00 pm
LOL Fair play that is my weeks worth of water you used there

Also Alex do you know of any low profile brushes on the market?
as I have some town houses with bars on them and they are 3 storeys up.
I can get the brush through but what a pain in the ass.
Just using your knowledge fella or if anyone else knows
Regards J

Probably the easiest brush to get through bars is the boring old Bentley brush.  With it's low profile stock and flexible bristles, I find I can ease it through almost any bars.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Jago on March 25, 2008, 03:22:18 pm
thanks Alex I will have a look
J
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Moderator David@stives on March 25, 2008, 04:53:35 pm
£17.00 an hour probably paid on a self-employed basis and on Easter weekend

Alex

I have lost count of how many times i drove past that building wondering who cleans it.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: NWH on March 25, 2008, 04:57:04 pm
I reckon you got between £1000-£1200 for that job Alex,if not i aint that far away i know.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 04:59:26 pm
£17.00 an hour probably paid on a self-employed basis and on Easter weekend

Alex

I have lost count of how many times i drove past that building wondering who cleans it.

Exactly right on the payment basis and on those grounds not really that much money actually!

The answer is that no one has been cleaning it!


I reckon you got between £1000-£1200 for that job Alex,if not i aint that far away i know.

Unfortunately not that much  :(
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: d s windowcleaning on March 25, 2008, 05:12:20 pm
alex what type of car had a 300 ltr tank in , looks like a good job being done  :)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: chan on March 25, 2008, 05:27:58 pm
how would you quote a building like this?? if u rather not say how much.. understood. or u could message me as i only do resident houses and would like to do offices??
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 05:31:35 pm
alex what type of car had a 300 ltr tank in , looks like a good job being done  :)

Funnily enough a police converted focus estate car. It looks like a focus estate, but is actually a purpose converted vehicle with full plastic lined interior and stainless steel mounting frame and mounting points.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 05:36:36 pm
how would you quote a building like this?? if u rather not say how much.. understood. or u could message me as i only do resident houses and would like to do offices??

This is a very difficult thing to do accurately  :)

For competition reasons I do not want to disclose how much the above job was, but the way I quoted it was to work out how long it would take 4 workers to do. I then guessed what the shortest possible time would be and the longest possible time and priced it so that I would be OK with the price even if it took the longest possible time. As it happened, it took exactly half way between my estimated longest and shortest times! So I was happy.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Moderator David@stives on March 25, 2008, 06:15:04 pm
3 hours
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: nat on March 25, 2008, 06:25:48 pm
good call dave i would say 4-5 hours 2 men, depending on how dirty, 3 hours 3 men,

if you got 1000 - 1200 for that then that would be great although i would price it around 450 - 550 realisticlly and still would of been well happy with the price  ;)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 06:26:37 pm
3 hours

I would have been a very happy person if it had taken just 3 hours!!

It took 8.5 'man' hours just to do the hallway wall of glass in the picture.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: nat on March 25, 2008, 06:28:50 pm
3 hours

I would have been a very happy person if it had taken just 3 hours!!

It took 8.5 'man' hours just to do the hallway wall of glass in the picture.

is there more glass to this than in the pictures?
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Moderator David@stives on March 25, 2008, 06:52:45 pm
2 litres per minute
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Paul Coleman on March 25, 2008, 07:49:19 pm
£17.00 an hour probably paid on a self-employed basis and on Easter weekend

Alex

I have lost count of how many times i drove past that building wondering who cleans it.

Exactly right on the payment basis and on those grounds not really that much money actually!

The answer is that no one has been cleaning it!


I reckon you got between £1000-£1200 for that job Alex,if not i aint that far away i know.

Unfortunately not that much  :(

Well it's just got to be £999 as it's the local nick.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 25, 2008, 07:56:35 pm
3 hours

I would have been a very happy person if it had taken just 3 hours!!

It took 8.5 'man' hours just to do the hallway wall of glass in the picture.

is there more glass to this than in the pictures?

There is a lot more glass to the job than just these pictures, even the glass wall shown extends by another 12 rows into the alley behind the brick section on the left. This was probably the hardest part of the job as I was working in about a 5 foot wide alley with the pole 45ft above me, getting very wet  :( and I was having to work around knife-amnesty bins and 'recovered' bikes etc.


2 litres per minute

We were running on about 1.5-1.7 litres per minute. Clever way of calculating it though Dave  :)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: nat on March 25, 2008, 08:02:50 pm
3 hours

I would have been a very happy person if it had taken just 3 hours!!

It took 8.5 'man' hours just to do the hallway wall of glass in the picture.

is there more glass to this than in the pictures?

There is a lot more glass to the job than just these pictures, even the glass wall shown extends by another 12 rows into the alley behind the brick section on the left. This was probably the hardest part of the job as I was working in about a 5 foot wide alley with the pole 45ft above me, getting very wet  :( and I was having to work around knife-amnesty bins and 'recovered' bikes etc.


2 litres per minute

We were running on about 1.5-1.7 litres per minute. Clever way of calculating it though Dave  :)

ahhh ok, my original estimates are way out then ;D ;D
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Captain Scarlet on March 26, 2008, 09:39:05 am
Alex, did you not have problems with the bare Aluminium oxidisng on the glass? Luke
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on March 26, 2008, 06:22:21 pm
Hi Luke,

We had anticipated some problems with this issue, but fortunately all of the proper framed windows were in good condition. The only ones that were a bit dubious were the vertical bars on the walls of glass, which of course did not cause us any problems at all, due to them being vertical.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Marky Thomas on August 08, 2008, 06:40:35 pm
That's my local nick - Truro.
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: cswc on August 08, 2008, 06:47:10 pm
in the pics the hoses come from cars isnt that a weight issue for a car?

rgds
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: Alex Gardiner on August 08, 2008, 08:21:10 pm
in the pics the hoses come from cars isnt that a weight issue for a car?

rgds

The hose reel only weighs about 12kg which is well within the capability of a car  :)
Title: Re: Did This Job Today - 1300 litres
Post by: jodan63 on August 08, 2008, 09:12:01 pm
 M Thomas, re you talking through experience lol   " my local nick truro "  ;D ;D ;D